Use of over 60 Bus Pass in Carlisle

[46100ROYALSCOT]

Any advice on using my Senior Citizen bus pass please. Can I use it on the Stagecoach 685 service from Carlise to Newcastle?

 

[flymo]

I don't see why it wouldn't be valid, subject to any time restrictions of course. This service is operated jointly by Arriva and Stagecoach and is basically a local stage carriage bus service, albeit running for 60 miles or so.

 

[Ivo]

If you can use it on the X14 between Bristol and Newport (trust me; I've done it), and the X5 from Oxford to Cambridge (which uses coaches), then I see no reason as to why it would not be possible. At the end of the day it is, as flymo suggests, just another local bus service (albeit a long one!).

 

[142094]

Niceer ride on the train of course! Scenery is much better from the railway on the Tyne Valley line than on the A69.

 

[cainebj]

Your pass can be used.
Stagecoach in Cumbria only operate 2 of the 6 duty boards, Arriva Northumbria running the other 4. It is technically an Arriva route, but there isn't an Arriva Cumbria, so the 2 duty boards starting in Carlisle early morning are operated by Stagecoach, also means there is 2 duty boards that finish in Carlisle later at night.
If you get the Arriva one, you just show the driver your pass, and they'll issue a ticket (they still use old Wayfarer machine's with no card readers).
If you use the Stagecoach one, you should be able to place your pass on the usual card reader, as their Wayfarer machine's recently had software updates to allow validation of all UK passes. The machine's do play up every now and then though, in which case the driver will pick up your pass, and just manually issue a free ticket.

 

[46100ROYALSCOT]

Many thanks for your valuable advice, just got to wait for weather to improve and arrange a Megabus Virgin return to Carlisle.

 

[tbtc]

Niceer ride on the train of course! Scenery is much better from the railway on the Tyne Valley line than on the A69.

I only know the line east of Hexham, but the view isn't great on the railway, you are stuck at the bottom of the valley - nice if the Tyne looks sunny but certainly not guaranteed

 

[142094]

I only know the line east of Hexham, but the view isn't great on the railway, you are stuck at the bottom of the valley - nice if the Tyne looks sunny but certainly not guaranteed

You need to get west of Hexham then! That is where the best bits are, for most of it you are high above the river (including the nice view from the bridge over the Tyne at Wetheral).